Kill 'Em and Leave

By James McBride,

Book cover of Kill 'Em and Leave: Searching for James Brown and the American Soul

Book description

'A formidable free-style book that isn't straight biography but a mix of history, street-level investigative reporting, hagiography, Deep South sociology, music criticism, memoir and some fiery preaching' Rolling Stone magazine

A Guardian best music book of 2016

The music of James Brown was almost a genre in its own right,…

Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Why read it?

1 author picked Kill 'Em and Leave as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Kill ‘Em and Leave is a fascinating, gripping biography of the Godfather of Soul, James Brown. After performances, he never partied. He got on his bus and left for the next venue, hence his motto: Kill ‘em and leave.

Brown was an extremely private, secretive person. Even those who knew him well didn’t know much about him. McBride interviewed several dozen folks who were close to Brown and pieces together a marvelous book. I could not put it down.

Want books like Kill 'Em and Leave?

Our community of 10,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Kill 'Em and Leave.

Browse books like Kill 'Em and Leave

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in the Deep South, sociology, and Elvis Presley?

10,000+ authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them. Browse their picks for the best books about the Deep South, sociology, and Elvis Presley.

The Deep South Explore 14 books about the Deep South
Sociology Explore 139 books about sociology
Elvis Presley Explore 32 books about Elvis Presley